Ukraine's leading English-language newspaper since 1995

From left Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, and Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende share a word during a round table meeting at an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday June 18. AP NOVI SAD, Serbia (Reuters) - Central European leaders called on Friday for more regional cooperation to combat the global economic crisis and better distribution of energy resources including gas supplies.

Serbia, hosting the Central European Summit in the northern city of Novi Sad, also urged the European Union to speed up entry for Balkan states.

Most leaders, including Polish President Lech Kaczynski and Ukrainian leader Viktor Yushchenko, called for better distribution and diversification of energy resources, a reminder of the gas row between Kiev and Moscow earlier this year.

Yushchenko said European countries should adopt "a common policy" and a "common gas market. "That market should act on the basis of equal rights and access for all," he said.

Shortly afterwards, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in Brussels international financial institutions were willing to help provide Ukraine with "stop-gap funding" to help it deal with problems paying for Russian gas.

He said there was a risk of a another major gas crisis in weeks with Russia cutting off gas supplies, including gas intended for transit to Europe, as it did in January.

CALL FOR COOPERATION

In Novi Sad, Austrian President Heinz Fischer said the global economic crisis remained "the most fundamental challenge", requiring multilateral cooperation.

"We must focus on the necessity to keep social balance and cohesion in our own societies. There's a special responsibility to protect the poorer and weaker," he said.

Austerity measures, including cuts in welfare benefits and state sector salaries, have provoked widespread protests across central and eastern Europe, from Latvia to the Balkans.

"We are obliged before the citizens of our countries to be resolute, creative and united in order to ensure real, sustainable prosperity for future generations," Serbian President Boris Tadic told the summit.

The one-year-old Serbian government has set European Union membership as its priority, but the 27-nation bloc says Belgrade needs to catch Ratko Mladic, the top war crimes fugitive from the 1992-95 Bosnia conflict, in order to make progress.

Czech President Vaclav Klaus, whose country currently chairs the EU, said enlargement was still on the EU's agenda and urged Slovenia, already a member, and its neighbour Croatia to settle their border issues bilaterally. A dispute between the two is hampering Croatia's efforts to join the bloc.

Italian President Georgio Napolitano said "much remains to be done" in fighting the global downturn "by gradually strengthening the economic government of the (European) Union and the checks and balances of the financial sector".

Yushchenko, whose country's economy entered a sharp downturn in 2008 and 2009, said European countries should establish a system of common economic support and joint policies on energy security and EU integration.

"We must avoid selfishness and protectionism," he said.

Presidents from 14 countries -- Austria, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Italy, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine -- were gathering for the 16th time.

According to Serbian media, Albanian President Bamir Topi refused to attend in protest over Serbia's decision not to invite Kosovo's leader Fatmir Sejdiu. Belgrade opposes Kosovo's independence, saying it is still part of Serbia.